A fact too often forgotten when considering your skin’s health is that your skin is an organ. Its kind of strange to think of in those terms since all of your other vital organs are internal but, as your largest organ, your skin’s health is one of the most important aspects of your body’s health overall. Since one of your skin’s most crucial tasks is to act as a barrier between the outside world and your other organs, it deals with a considerable amount of abuse on a daily basis. That is why it is so important to do everything you can to keep it in tip-top shape so it can carry on performing its integral functions to keep your body moving. Here are just a few ways to keep your skin fresh and performing at peak efficiency by clearing away the toxins it takes on every time your step outside.

1. Cleanse Your Diet

The first and most important step to clear the toxins from your skin is to more closely monitor what you intake. Just like any good machine, what your body’s functions put out depends entirely on what you put in. So in order for your skin to work at its maximum level and cleanse itself of nasty airborne toxins, you need to take a close look at your current diet and decide if you need to make some changes.

The basic list of skin-friendly foods is pretty straight forward: fish high in essential oils, nuts, leafy greens, fresh fruits, and, of course, lots of water. Also, to reintroduce you to a lesson you’ve been told since the first time you saw the glorious upper piece of the food pyramid, cut back on refined sugar. For more on the science of why this is so essential to healthy skin, check out our previous post on this topic. It is also a good idea to limit your intake of animal fats and dairy products for the same reasons. Try replacing those essential proteins in your diet with eggs, fresh quinoa, or lentils instead.

2. Exfoliate

The airborne toxins and dirt that your skin goes up against are important to consider, but are far from the only threats that impacts your skin’s health. If dead skins cells build up they can clog your pores just as much as dirt and debris. This is why it is important to regularly exfoliate and clear away anything with the potential to clog up your pores. Try a cleansing scrub twice a day to keep your skin fresh and ready to take on everything your day has in store.

3. Moisturize

We can never over-stress the role that keeping up with your moisturizing routine plays in the overall health and productivity of your skin. Your skin can only perform at maximum efficiency if it is in its optimum environment, which most of the time is far from the case. When going about your daily routine in the harsh environment of the outside world, it is easy for your skin to dry out, becoming more vulnerable to the damaging ultra-violet rays from the sun as well as the millions of micro-particles that exist in the air. But, when you regularly moisturize, you give your skin’s natural processes the boost they need to keep functioning at their highest productivity, even under harsh circumstances.

4. Unwind

An important part of skin health, and overall health in general, is to do your best to regulate your stress level. This can sometimes seem like impossibility with everything going on in your busy lives but taking the time to unwind and relax is essential for keeping your skin working its hardest. Whenever you let your schedule get the best of you and your stress level gets too high, the hormone cortisol is released that increases inflammation and in extreme cases can cause acne. Cortisol can also disrupt your skin’s natural processes and lead to dull skin and fine lines. So make sure you cut out a chunk of your daily schedule to take a deep breath and slow down for your skin’s sake.

Hopefully these tips can help you in your pursuit of flawless, radiant skin. For more information as well as recommendations for both detox and day-to-day skin care products that are backed by science, go to LiraClinical.com and check out their vast line of incredible skin care solutions today!